[pianotech] Kawai GS-50 damper tray

[Don Mannino]

Laura,

I'm not clear what you mean by this: " I tightened the screws that hold the
damper tray to the belly rail." 
There are 2 aluminum rails, the damper flange rail and the damper tray
itself.  The tray is mounted with wood pivot blocks that then are pinned to
the flange rail.  The flange rails is screwed to the belly rail.

During dry weather, it is common for the wood damper tray blocks to become
loose.  The screws that hold these to the tray are vertical, and are hidden.

They can be tightened with a right-angle screwdriver if you have just the
right length Phillips style driver.  Otherwise you remove the sostenuto rod,
raise the upstop rail all the way up, then remove the screws that hold the
flange rail to the cross block / belly rail.  Once those are out, you can
ease the whole damper system forward, tighten the screws, and ease it back.

Another source of rattles can be damper leaver lead weights.  You can
squeeze them tight if you have the right kind of pliers to fit, or you can
apply drops of C/A glue to the weights to lock them in.

Don Mannino RPT
Director, Field Services
Kawai America
www.kawaius.com

  

-----Original Message-----
From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf
Of Laura Olsen
Sent: Monday, January 30, 2012 2:33 PM
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Subject: [pianotech] Kawai GS-50 damper tray

I found a problem I couldn't solve while I was at the piano and I thought:
"I know, I'll use a "life line" and ask the experts!"  You are my "experts"
so here goes:

It's a  Kawai GS-50 with a rattle in the damper tray when you release the
sustain pedal.  When I lift and drop certain damper blocks I can kind of
duplicate the rattle in the aluminum rail. 

I tightened the screws that hold the damper tray to the belly rail.  I
checked damper under lever screws.  I tightened the screws in the damper
blocks the hold the damper wires.  The tabs aren't hitting the sos. rod and
the Sostenuto rod bracket screws are tight.   The damper under lever screws
are tight.

What am I missing?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

Laura Olsen